by Aliya DalRae
“Yeah, well, it’s annoying if you don’t know what it is or remember how to shut it off. Anyway, I didn’t totally understand what I was feeling until that day at the gravel pit. Fuhrmann had taken you, Raven was going bat shit crazy, and I was busy fighting those asshole Sorcerers. Out of nowhere, it was like someone was taking razor blades to my back, my front, my face. I thought one of those magical bastards had spelled me. That’s when I knew what it was, and I followed your pain. It’s how I found you then, and how I found you tonight.”
“So it’s what, like a family connection? You can feel everything your family feels?” Harrier nodded and Jessica said, “That sounds a little creepy.”
Harrier chuckled. “Yeah, if you don’t turn it off, it would be. The first time I sensed you and Raven doing the nasty I nearly hurled.”
“You didn’t!” Jessica sat up straighter, her face bright red, eyes big as saucers.
“Nah, I’m just kidding,” he said, even though he wasn’t. It had nearly done him in.
Jessica curled her legs underneath her, readjusting the afghan as she did so to cover everything pertinent.
“So,” she said, eager to change the subject. “Family, huh?”
“Looks like it,” Harrier said, raising his bottle for another drink.
“Can I call you Uncle Harry?” Jessica asked with a sly smile that Harrier didn’t see due to the fact the he was snorting beer out of his nose. Jessica laughed and dropped her bottle on the coffee table. Wrapping the afghan around her waist, she went to the kitchen to get him a towel. And another beer if there were any left.
“I think you know the answer to that,” Harrier said, having scooted to the edge of the couch so he could drip freely on the proportionately ugly carpet. “You should see about getting this place redecorated,” he added, speaking his thoughts aloud.
“Since when do you care about home décor?” Jessica called from the kitchen. She had struck out on the beers, but she grabbed a towel out of the drawer next to the sink and headed back to the living room.
Harrier answered her question with a scowl and a question of his own. “Don’t you have some clothes here? Outside of the infirmary that johnny seems—indecent.”
Chapter
One Hundred Twenty-Eight
C hanging direction, I threw the kitchen towel at Harrier and headed into my bedroom where I knew I at least had some workout clothes. I returned wearing a pair of black sweats, a grey hooded sweatshirt, and I even managed to scrounge up some socks. Harrier was still mopping up, so I grabbed my beer from the coffee table and curled up in the sofa’s matching spindly chair.
“So,” Harrier said, leaning back on the couch. “What was Malcolm doing at your place, anyway?”
I gave a half shrug, not sure what to say. I went with, “Who knows?” and took a drink to hide my discomfort.
“You fucked him, didn’t you?” Harrier said, matter of fact.
It was my turn to aspirate beer, and I sprayed the mouthful I’d just taken all over the nasty furniture and myself. Harrier, of course found this hilarious, and threw the already damp towel at me. He was right about replacing the furniture. After tonight it was going to smell like beer anyway.
“I’ll take that as an affirmative,” Harrier said, draining his bottle and looking at it as though its emptiness was a personal affront.
This was so not something I wanted to discuss. I hadn’t told anyone, not even Piper, and the fact that Harrier was the one to figure it out? Harrier, who would not be above taunting Raven with this knowledge? Well, it made me nervous.
“Don’t worry, little one,” he said with more tenderness than I was prepared for. “I told you before that I won’t tell. Your secret is safe with me.” I looked at him through narrowed eyes, doubtful, recalling his parting words the night that Malcolm bit him.
“I promise.” He was so sincere, I nearly believed him.
Puffing out a breath, I turned around in the chair and threw the towel toward the kitchen. It landed on the breakfast bar—two points—and I turned back around to face my uncle. Still not sure what to say, I said nothing.
“So, what does this mean for you and Raven?” Harrier asked, playing with the label on his empty as if the answer were of no consequence.
“Nothing,” I said, deciding. “Malcolm was a blip. He lied to me. Raven lied to me, hell even you lied to me, and that’s something I didn’t think you would ever do. I wouldn’t have slept with him if I had known he was a Shifter.”
“But thinking he was human made it okay?”
“No,” I sighed. “Not okay. Just…normal.” I shrugged and Harrier nodded like he understood. I don’t know. Maybe he did.
“Do you think I should tell Raven?” I asked. Now that he knew, I might as well get his opinion.
The wide eyes and slack jaw would have been a qualified response, but he augmented it with an adamant, “Oh, hell no.”
“But that’s just another lie,” I said, “And wouldn’t that make me a hypocrite?”
“No,” Harrier said, leaning toward me and giving me serious eyes. “What it will make you is alive.”
That wasn’t quite what I expected, but he had a point and I nodded my understanding. If Raven ever found out I was unfaithful, even if it was when we were on a break, he would never forgive me. And if he would kill me, the woman he loves more than life, I could only imagine what he would do to Malcolm.
Harrier was right. This was one thing that my immortal beloved was better off not knowing. Ever.
“I’m serious, Jessica,” Harrier stared at me, hard. “Promise me you will not tell him about you and Malcolm.” I said I promised, and satisfied, Harrier sat back again.
“Are you going to tell him about your ancestry?” Harrier changed the subject.
“I don’t know. Probably, eventually, but I think I need to get my own head wrapped around it first. It wasn’t even a week ago I was prepared to forget the lot of you ever existed. Now I find I’m one of you? It’s a lot to take in.” I drained my beer and set the empty on the coffee table with a thunk, wishing there were more.
“Do you think if we called down to the kitchen they would bring us a six pack?”
“I think,” Harrier said, standing, “that we have procrastinated as long as we should.” I glanced up at him and the hand he was holding out to me. “Your parents will be climbing the walls by now, your father probably literally, and my sister isn’t that good at small talk.”
I shook my head, but placed my so much smaller hand in Harrier’s palm and let him pull me out of that stupid chair.
“I don’t know,” I said. “She was awful chatty with me.”
Harrier laughed. “Yeah, well, you’re family,” he smiled, my hand still held firmly in his.
Family.
He was right, of course. I’m sure they were all worried about me, and having a stressed out Werewolf running around a Vampire Compound probably wasn’t something we should let go on for too much longer.
So, I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, squeezed Harrier’s hand, and prepared to embrace my future.
Epilogue
I t wasn’t that many weeks ago that I had been completely dreading my first lonely Thanksgiving without my parents, the Sweets. Looking around the full table in my dining room, I was overwhelmed. Not only was my recently discovered blood family here—Patrick, Maggie and my little sister, Allie, Harrier and Rachel—but also the group I liked to think of as my chosen family. Raven, of course was seated to my left, and Tas, Perry, Alex and Piper filled out the rest of the seats. Alex and his girl were on the outs, so it really was all family. I did invite Mason, Merlin and Viper, but apparently they had other plans, as did Perry’s Soldier friend Martin, whom I’d invited as a favor to Perry.
The only person missing was Nox. Raven managed to convince Mason not to go after him with an automatic death sentence, but it didn’t really matter. His twin was in the wind. There was no sign of him or any of the ferals he had been runnin
g with anywhere in Fallen Cross. The old munitions plant in Miamisburg where Raven and I had been held was also deserted.
I truly had hoped that Nox and Raven would have a chance to talk, to get to know each other. I also hoped that the Legion would give Nox the same consideration they had given his brother. I knew deep in my soul that he was a good, worthy person and he deserved to be helped, not hunted. But we couldn’t help him if we couldn’t find him. I certainly had no idea where to look for him. I did hope that wherever he was he was safe and sheltered, and not alone.
Over the past few weeks since discovering I was part Vampire, I spent as much time as I could trying to learn more about my people. I laughed at Harrier’s face when I pointed out to him that he was not only a relative, he was actually my ancestor. He didn’t think it was nearly as funny as I did, but we are working on his sense of humor.
Maggie was as shocked as I was to learn of our Vampire heritage, but she recovered from that shock a lot quicker than I had. Patrick just nodded his head like it explained a lot.
So other than my parents, Harrier and Rachel, and of course Mason because he’s a big know-it-all and has to be told everything, I haven’t told anyone about my family history. Not even Raven.
Though I’ve accepted my new family, I’m still warming to the idea of what it means for me. What I am. Raven’s never said it, but I know he has dreamed of finding a way to make me Vampire so that we could be together forever. I’m not sure I’m ready to handle that level of enthusiasm just yet.
Rachel, it turns out, is a font of information on all things Vampire. Based on what she’s told me, it would seem that when Raven and I exchanged blood, it triggered something between us. And when I bit him, that something may have escalated.
Rachel said that mated Vampires share each other’s blood. It’s part ritual, part sexual, and over time they develop a bit of the same connection that blood-family members share. A Link forms that connects the couple for life. It would appear that it was already happening with us, so I wasn’t crazy when I told Piper I was feeling emotions that weren’t my own. However, that’s not something Raven and I have chosen to discuss.
So with all of that, I could see Raven getting overly ambitious at the prospect of my potential longevity. I feel like he would push me to take his blood again, knowing that it would mean bringing more of my Vampire traits to the forefront. Gently, of course, erotically for sure, and though he would never force me, I know he would make it hard for me to say no. Either way, it would be between us, always, and I wasn’t ready to go there.
On a positive note, I was granted permission to tell Piper and Alex the truth about the new group of people in my life. With Harrier & Rachel’s help, I was able to convince Mason that they would be easier to protect if they knew what being in my life entailed. I knew that danger was inevitable, but I didn’t want my friends to be blind to the situation they were in simply by being associated with me. And I refused to push them away. That was a nonstarter.
Mason finally agreed, the one caveat being that Harrier had to be present when they learned about the Vampires and wolves. In the event they didn’t handle it well, Harrier would be able to whammy them into forgetting I ever told them. True to form, they were both open minded, and happily swore an oath of secrecy. I think that Harrier added a little something-something to the conversation to ensure said silence, but if it kept my friends safe, I was willing to overlook it.
Malcolm has tried to contact me on several occasions. I answered the phone the first time, only because I felt he warranted a thank you for alerting Mason that Raven and I were in trouble. I’m sure that if he felt I were safe he would have left Raven to his own devices, but the fact remains he was integral in our rescue. Nox may have saved us from Fuhrmann, but had help not arrived I would be dead and Raven would have been inconsolable.
Subsequent calls from Malcolm have gone unanswered. I still have mixed feelings about what happened between us, but Raven and I are in a really good place at the moment. And considering the new developments concerning my heredity, I felt it best to make a clean break. Something tells me I haven’t heard the last of him, though.
Turning my attention back to the table, I reached one hand out to Raven and the other to Rachel on my other side. Not knowing that Rachel and Harrier were my relatives, it was a point of contention between Raven and me that they were even here tonight. To to keep the peace, Rachel had wisely intercepted Harrier’s attempt at gaining the empty seat to my right. This elicited a growl from Harrier and a giggle from me, with Rachel offering me a wink as she told her brother to sit down and be quiet.
Considering the eclectic group gathered around, I decided to forego saying grace for the more inclusive ritual of going around the table and having everyone say what they were thankful for. Once all hands were joined, Allie was eager to begin, and without preamble declared emphatically that she was thankful that she finally had a sister. Everyone laughed, but the room soon grew somber as it was Patrick’s turn.
“I’m thankful that both of my daughters are safe, and that we are together today to celebrate as a family.” Someone said “Hear hear,” but due to the tears swimming in my eyes I wasn’t sure who.
Maggie was next, and she seemed to be suffering from the same optical issues that I was. She simply said, “Ditto what he said. I love you both so much.” She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with her napkin as we turned to Piper.
“I’m thankful that you all let me and Alex in on your little secret. I hate being kept in the dark,” she fake huffed, and I smiled across the table at her.
“And I’m thankful that you trusted us with this information too,” Alex said. “You are all such a big part of Jessica’s life, and it means a lot to me to know she is being protected by such a badass bunch of people.” Everyone smiled politely at the humans, and laughed when Allie said, “Language.” Alex looked properly admonished, and we all turned to Tas.
“I am thankful for being included in your celebration today,” he said, tipping his wineglass to me and smiling as Perry began to speak.
“Until this moment, I didn’t think I would be able to find anything to be thankful for this year. With Heidi gone, I felt there was nothing left for me in this world.” Perry shifted an awkward glance at Raven before continuing. “But Jessica, being here today, it reminds me that there is still good to be found. That there is still love and happiness, and thanks to you I still have a place to go where I feel I am a part of something so much bigger than myself. In short, Jessica, I am thankful for you.”
Okay, the tears were beyond swimming now, and I was dabbing furiously to keep them at bay. Harrier was next, but he hesitated a millisecond too long and Raven spoke instead.
“Jessica, I think everyone at this table knows how I feel about you. To say I was thankful for anything but you would be a lie no one would believe. I’m thankful for the life you have given me, restored to me twice now…”
“Foolish girl,” Harrier growled.
“…and for the love I never knew was possible,” Raven finished with a glare thrown at Harrier for good measure.
“I love you too,” I said, squeezing his hand. I turned back to Rachel and Harrier.
“I’m so thankful for being reconnected with the family I thought lost to me forever,” Rachel said. She looked directly at Harrier but squeezed my hand so I knew she was talking about me and Maggie too.
Harrier was still struggling, so I helped him out by going next. I looked at each individual seated at my table and said, “Thank you. For all that you’ve said, for all that you’ve done, for turning a day I was dreading into one of the best days of my life. I am thankful for each and every one of you, for family, for friends who are family, and I’m so grateful to know that I will never be alone again.”
And then everyone was looking at Harrier. He was avoiding all eye contact and twisting the hell out of one of my mother’s good napkins.
“We can’t eat until you say what you’re thankful f
or,” Allie said.
Harrier looked directly at Allie and gave her his most terrifying glare.
“Fucking wing nuts,” he growled. “Can we eat now?”
“Language,” Allie said, and we all burst out laughing as dishes heaped with holiday deliciousness were passed around the table.
~~~~~~~
Malcolm jumped from the windowsill and ran his barn cat self around to the side of the house. Jessica had risen from the table and was going to get drink refills out of the spare fridge on the porch. Any chance he had to keep her in his sights, he was going to take.
Crouching in a corner of the screened-in wall, Malcolm was a mere shadow when Jessica opened the door and stepped out onto that fake grass carpet. She stood in the middle of the porch, hands wrapped around her waist, and took several deep breaths as she stared out into the blackness.
Malcolm closed his eyes as well, breathing in her presence, her very essence. It had been entirely too long since he’d been this close to her, and he wanted to take in everything. Her image was forever imprinted on his mind. But the scent of her, the sound of her heart beating strong and loud to his sensitive ears, and the woosh, woosh, woosh of…what?
What was that sound, so faint, but definitely coming from within her perfect frame?
Malcolm’s eyes flew open, as the memory finally hit him. He was lying on the floor with his head on Anna’s belly, hypnotized by that strong, steady swish, the sound of his child’s heart echoing within her womb.
The same sound emanating from the woman in front of him now.
Malcolm jumped from the sill and ran across the yard, heading back to the orchard, back to his thinking tree.
Unfortunately, his hopes of being alone in the comfort of his favorite Y-branch to contemplate the implications of what he’d learned were thwarted. A large, familiar-looking Vampire was lurking beneath the limbs of the tall apple tree.
